Mold shakeout apparatus



March 25, 1958 A. G. GRANATH MOLD SHAKEOUT APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1954 March 25, 1958 A. ca. GRANATH 2,827,677

MOLD SHAKEOUT APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet s u Liz E27 fur A954 6. Gem/,4 7H

March 25, 1958 A. G. GRANATH MOLD SHAKEOUT APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 2, 1954 IHVE .2: far A J/Q G GEM/1r United tates 2,827,677 MoLD SHAKEOUT APPARATUS Axel G. Granath, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Herbert Simpson Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois This invention relates to an automatic shakeout system and method for tight flask molds.

The manual labor involved at the shakeout station in existing foundry molding systems is very undesirable, and the job is hard to fill. The present invention provides a completely automatic shakeout system, and the first such system capable of use with tight flask molds.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel shakeout system and method for operation in conjunction with a mold conveyor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a completely automatic shakeout system for tight flask molds.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mold conveyor for tight flask molds.

Still another object is to provide a novel tray inverting device for use with such a conveyor.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel tray return mechanism for use with a mold conveyor having a pivoted tray.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic plan view of a simplified mold conveyor system with which the present invention is adapted to be utilized;

Figure 2 is a partial side elevational view of a mold conveyor tray having tight flask molds associated therewith and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a more or less schematic fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating a mold conveyor tray inverting apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a more or less diagrammatic fragmentary plan view illustrating a mold conveyor tray return mechan sm in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary more or less diagrammatic cross sectional view illustrating the mold conveyor tray return apparatus shown in Figure 4.

As shown on the drawings:

The automatic shakeout system of the present invention may suitably be employed with a mold conveyor system such as illustrated in Patent 2,229,492. Reference is made to said patent for a more detailed disclosure of a mold conveying system with which the present invention may be utilized.

As indicated schematically in Figure l, the mold con-- veyor system may comprise a monorail conveyor track 14 having a plurality of mold conveyor trains 11, 12, 13 and 14 moveable therealong. The trains may each comprise an electric drive car 15 and a plurality of cars such as 16 for carrying the molds. Trains 11, 12 and 13 are shown as disposed respectively at the molding, pouring and cooling zones or stations of the system. The trains in these zones are driven by the electric drive cars at the head of each train. The train 14 is illustrated as being at the shakeout station and a variable speed caterpillar drive 19 is provided for moving the train atent O V 30 of a drive car riding thereon.

14 slowly through the shakeout station, while the trains in the other station are at rest. When the train 14 has passed through the shakeout station, the train 14 will actuate a master limit switch which energizes the bus bars and starts all the trains simultaneously whereupon each train moves in the direction of the arrow 20 in Figure l, to the next station. it will be understood that if desired, more than one train may be in the cooling section at a given time and switch means indicated at 22 and 23 may be provided for switching successive trains to and from the track section in the cooling zone.

As seen in Figure 3, the monorail liimay have a wheel The drive car 15 impels itself by means of a driving tire such as indicated at 33 engaging a stationary drive rail 34. The cars each comprise a base portion such as indicated at 40 to which is hinged at one longitudinal side a mold conveyor tray indicated generally at 41. As seen in Figure 3, the tray 41 is pivoted to the base 4% by means of a shaft 42 for pivotal movement from a generally horizontal position shown in solid outline in Figure 3, resting on the base 40 to an inverted position indicated in dash outline at 41a in Figure 3. Figure 2 illustrates a mold conveyor tray detached from the base and provided with four mold receiving compartments each having a mold flask diagram.- matically indicated at 45 associated therewith. Referring to Figure 3, the tray comprises a bottom plate 46 having downturned flanges 47 and 48 at the longitudinal sides thereof, the flange 47 having a pivot bracket 49 secured thereto receiving the shaft 42, and the flange 48 being provided with an upper edge plate 59 and a lower edge plate 51. As shown in Figure 2, the edge plates 50 and 51 extend along a major portion of the length of the mold conveyor tray, the upper edge plate 59 being provided with a forward inclined upper edge plate portion 50a, and the lower edge plate 51 being provided with a rear inclined edge portion 51a.

For mounting the molds 45 on the tray 41, the tray is provided with end retaining arms 53 and 54 and side retaining arms 56, 57, 58, 59 and 6!). Side arms 57, 58 and 59 provide transverse partition portions 57a, 58a and 59a, side flange portions 57b, 58b and 59b, and overhanging retaining portions 57c, 58c and 59c which cooperate with overhanging portions 53a, 54a of the end arms to confine the mold flasks 45 within the respective compartments of the tray 41. It will be observed from Figure 3 that the overhanging flanges such as 58c and the partitions 58a have a limited transverse extent so that one transverse edge of the mold 45, namely that edge away from the pivot 42 is exposed at its upper surface.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom boards of the molds are squeezed into steel flasks and the present invention contemplates the inversion of the flask during the shakeout opera-tion. As illustrated in Figure 3, a suitable inverting mechanism may comprise a first roller 70 for engaging the under surface of the edge flange 51 as the mold conveyor tray is moved slowly through the shakeout section of the system. The inverting mechanism may be energized through a solenoid valve by means of limit switches that engage the mold conveyor flange wheels so that the roller 7% begins to pivot the tray 41 about shaft 42 soon after the edge flange 51 travels over the roller 7i). The edge flange 5i continues to ride along the roller 7%) as the roller 79 is raised to pivot the tray 41 upwardly. The roller 7% is guided for arcuate movement about the axis of pivot shaft 42 by means of tracksand 76 cooperating with rollers 77 and 78 of a carriage 8t? mounting roller 7h. The carriage 89 is moved along the track 75, 76 by means of a piston 82 and cylinder 83, the piston being pivotally connected to the carriage at one end and the cylinder beingpivot-ally conam r r rollers "92 and' 93 ona carriage =94, the*secoridroller 90 being operative to gently lower the -tray-so' that it rests'on. a ridingbar 96. The-conveyor continues to move along the track and after the rear end ofthe'upper edge '50 has mo'ved past the second roller 90, cylinder 100 is actuated to retract piston 101 to return the carriage "94 to its initial position' indicated in" Figure=3. "The cylinder 1 00 is pivoted by means ofafshaft -102-to a fiaredframe memberi103 in a manner similar tothe' cylinder 83.

It will beobservedfrom-Figure-"B, that an edge of the mold flask indicated at 45a in -Figurel-3 :is engage d by a shakeout device=106 which is located at a position where a" second riding bar (no-t shown) is broken away. 'The second ridingb'ar engages the flasks as the tray is inverted and maintains the fla'sks spaced above the pathofvertical reciproc'ationof a mold engaging head 107 of shakeout 106. When a fiask moves off the second rail, it drops into engagement i-with-wthe shakeout head 1G7, which may-"be drivenzbymeans-of a motor 108 through a shaft 169. An

eccentric: memberlnot shown) may be carried on' the shaft 1il9ffor -vibrating' the =engagement portion 107. Such shakeoutdevices are well known in the artand need not be: described in-detail.

iIt'Will be understood that suitable means are disposed in .the -,general. area' indicated :at 115 along the track 10 in Figure-31o receive material shaken'from' the' molds45;

After the conveyor-has been moved past =the-shakeout mechanism 1%, the'mold conveyor tray ispivoted back to its upright positioniby means ofa return mechanism illustrated in Figures4land'5. At theend of the riding bar 96 is disposeda first'series of rollers 120 for engaging theinclined forward upper surface 50a, Figure 2, to guide the tray progressively upwardly about the pivot- 42. These rollers 120pivot thecenter'of gravity ofthe tray past; the pivot -".42. so that the tray pivot-s over to ride against the rollers 121' disposed to engage'the trailing undersurfa-ce' 51a and guide the tray-downwardly to its initial upright position,- at which time 'the-itray rests :onthcba'se'portion 40 of the conveyor car. *Itwill-be-nnde'rstood 'that; the rollers'v120 -and:1121 are' generally helically l disposediwith'relationto thespath of travel of the pivot shaft'42. =-Further, it will be understood that the slope' of the edges 51aand Siiaygenerally corresponds to the slope oftherrollers. "'By way :ofexam-ple, the 'rollers 120mand' 1211may--be mounted onwiispiral pl-ates 1231;111:1124 by means Qflbracke-ts'IZSand 126' for rotation relative thereto, and the plates 123 and 124 may be mounted by means ofa gsnitahlejr-amework indicated -generallyE-at127.

l-tmay be emphasized that the caterpillar drive operates cOI Iinuously to move "aitrain throughithe -shakeout station, and that finverting :me'chanism. shown Tin Figure Y 3 and the return mechanism shown in "Figures4 and S is adapted to automatically-cooperate with the conveyor as I the'conveyormoves alongato carry out the requiredoperatipns. The shakeout asy-stem ofi'the presentzinvention is thus fully automatic requiring ,nonmanualclab'or in the shakeout'operation.

It will 'beapparent that smany modificationsi and variatio ns may be effected withoutideparting'from thescope of the-novel concepts of the present'invention.

I claim as my invention: a

1. .ln a mold shakeout apparatus, ae'mold conveyor. for longitudinal ,movement, a mold: retaining tray :pi-votally connected to said. InOldCGIWfiYOI'IfOI transverse pivotal movement relative itthereto, inverting means disposed along the path offsaid conveyortor pivoting gamm into EEL'LiilIVBIlZd position,- means lfor' thereafter'acting on a mold czi-rrie d byisaid trayto vibrate' the' same; and tray return means for pivotingsaid tray "back -to'-norm-al"position, said inverting means comprising a first roller disposed for engagement beneath a longitudinal edge undersurface of said tray, means for moving said first roller in a circular are about :thefpivot for said tray to move said tray toward inverted po'sition as the tray longitudinal edge moves along said first roller, a second roller disposed f or engagingwbeneath a longitudinal edge upper surft'ace n np o't a o sa d ay pas ert e dispo tion and means for moving said second roller in a circular are about said tray pivot to lower: saidtray toward inverted position. a

2. In a mold shakeout apparatus, a mold conveyor for longitudinal movement, a mold retaining tray pivotally -connected to said mold conveyor 'for transverse pivotal movement relative thereto, invertingmeans disposedalongthe pathof saidc-onveyo-r for pivoting said trayzintozan inverted -p osition, .said inverting rneans compnisinge-a :firstzroller disposed for engagement beneath a I longitudinaluedge undersur face of-- said tray; means for moving said ffir-st roller :in a circular arc'about' the pivot foresaid'ltray toamovesaid tr-ay toward inverted position as the. traylongitudinal edge moves along said first roller,

a second roller disposed for engaging beneatha longitudinal' edge .upperss'urface upon. pivoting oi -said traypast vertical; disposition, and me-ans 1 for moving said a second roller in a circular arc about said tray pivot to lower saida tray; towardzinverted position, a .ridingbar forxengaging said tray iltorhold theisametiin inverted disposition as -the t 1:3 {In a'mold shakeoutzsapparatus, amold conveyor :for'

trayisvmoved'longitudinally. by said conveyor, and shakeout means for engaging an edgeof a mold flask carried by said tray to. .shake' the: contents therefrom.

" longitudinal movement, aamold;retiriningtray. pivotally connectedwto said moldconveyorxfor transverse pivotal tudinal edge undersurface. of1said tray, and means. for

moving said first roller in a circulararc about thepivot for said tray to move saidtray towardinver ted position as-the tray longitudinal edge moves along said'first roller,

' asecond roller disposed for engaging beneath a longitudi- 11:11 edge upper surface upon pivoting of. said tray-past vertical disposition, and 'meansi for moving said second tray is rnoved" longitudinally vby said conveyor, shakeout means for engaging an edgeyof: a mold;flask carried:by h-ake .theoontents therefrom," and .tmeans' for oving: said ,conveyor,- past tsaidtinverting magmas said shalgeoutmeansduring operation thereof.

'4. A tray pivotingmechanism for cooperationewithiat tray pivotally carried by a mngi-tudinallwmovabk: con- YQInQQmPF SiH fi s- 0 en n an d dersurfiaoeiof I the tray a nd-. for garcuate movement about thetray; pivotto move the'traytoward a vertical dispo'sinyaud a $995 rol ena n anedge pp ace q Have-and efor' tt nu t o t out the tray pivot to lower the tray from a vertical disposition to a iir er qd lispqsi i n vikefei'encesICited inthe file of Ibis. patent ZUN 'T-ED SIAEESrPATENTS 3667 975 Dodge Feb; l 2,' 19,01 l7fl8',69i8 i -Dodge "Sept.'9,'-1902 1,041,252 :aLawson -a Dec 17,1912 1,893,633 Peterson'etml Jan. 10;1933 236,411 Eppensteiner 25, 1941 9 amp; .1941 2,524,337 @1950 2.52. 5 d -i a 7. 5.7 1 0 2,597,246 Kelly May 20; 1952 

